According to Sheriff Graham Atkinson, more than three dozen officers met for a pre-bust briefing at the sheriff’s office at 6 a.m., and by late morning more than 16 suspects were in custody. Atkinson said the round-up targeted 34 suspects on 173 charges.

And more suspects are expected to be taken into custody soon, according to the sheriff.

“We knocked on a lot of doors trying to find them today,” he said, “and while there are 16 in custody at the moment, there are others who have indicated their willingness to turn themselves in. Everyone else is entered into a criminal database and if they’re caught anywhere in the country for any reason they’ll be brought back here.”

Atkinson said the investigation began several months ago and involved the suspects selling narcotics to undercover officers.

“We didn’t have to get any search warrants because we’ve made these cases and have the suspects good and solid,” he said, noting that the drugs range the gamut from marijuana to crack cocaine, prescription narcotics and even morphine.

He added that the investigation targeted suspects from “all over the county.”

“A lot of these people are repeat offenders that we’ve had to deal with over and over,” he said. “Hopefully, by doing the hand-to-hand buys it will make it easier to get them out of the community for an extended period of time. Some of these suspects go back to the beginning of my career and they were targeted because they are continuing problems. Others have done fairly lengthy prison sentences and they have gotten out and gone right back to doing the same things again.”

The sheriff added that there were multiple charges of trafficking in narcotics involved in the drug round-up, charges he hopes will result in more lengthy sentences for those convicted.

“We think that is significant,” he said. “There are more trafficking charges, which involve larger amounts of the drug, than charges of sale and delivery.”

For Atkinson, the drug sweep is part of an effort to protect the community by responding to complaints.

“When we get complaints about these people and how they’re making their communities and neighbors miserable, we try to get them out of the community,” he said. “It sometimes takes a little while, but we try.”

He added that his job would be much more difficult without the support and help of the community at large.

“We appreciate the people who continue to give us information, and a lot of that information was very useful,” he said. “This is obviously not the end of this, the investigation is continuing, along with other investigations, and we hope that will bring some further relief in the future. If the name of the person you’re complaining about isn’t on the list, there will be another list shortly.”

Those charged, and the charges against them, include:

• Carroll Elwood Bowman, 39, of 562 Lori Lane in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, sell and deliver methamphetamine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Gene Bowman, 48, of 147 West Popular Street in Mount Airy. Trafficking by sale Oxycodone, trafficking by delivering Oxycodone, trafficking by possession Oxycodone, trafficking by sale Hydrocodone, trafficking by delivering Hydrocodone, trafficking by possession Hydrocodone and two counts of maintaining a drug dwelling.

• Theodore Roosevelt Burcham, 41, of 183 Woltz Atkins Road in Mount Airy. Two counts of the possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, two counts of the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, two counts of maintaining a drug house and two counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Christopher Loyd Cox, 29, of 130 Gilda Avenue in Mount Airy. Two counts of the possession with intent to sell and deliver Methamphetamine, two counts of the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, two counts of maintaining a drug dwelling and two counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Randy Dale Crouse, 43, of 207 White Street in Dobson. Trafficking in Percocet by sell, trafficking in Percocet by delivery, trafficking in Percocet by possession and trafficking in Percocet by transportation.

• Jeffery Dwayne Dawson, 23, of 668 Orchard View Drive in Mount Airy. Trafficking in Vicodin by sale, trafficking in Vicodin by delivery, trafficking in Vicodin by possession, conspiracy to traffic by sell Vicodin, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sale and delivery of marijuana, conspiracy to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Luis Fernando Delarosa, 47, of 1787 Stony Knoll Road in Dobson. Two counts of the possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, two counts of the sale and delivery of marijuana, two counts of maintaining a drug house, and two counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Gabriel Delgado, 31, of 132 West Crosswinds Drive in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug vehicle and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Terrell Lekendric Dixon, 28, of 157 Kingfisher Way in Dobson. Possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, the sale and delivery of crack cocaine, conspiracy to sell and deliver crack cocaine, maintaining a drug house and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Jordan Terry Easter, 23, of 409 East Devon Drive in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver Klonopin, the sale and delivery of Klonopin, maintaining a drug vehicle and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Kimberly Darlene Epperson, 36, of 161 wards Gap Road in Cana, Va. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine and the sale and delivery of methamphetamine.

• Glenda Kaye George,38, 155 Cone Lane in Mount Airy. Two counts of the possession with the intent to sell or deliver crack cocaine and two counts of the sale and delivery of crack cocaine.

• Zackary Vanquail Goins, 25, of 316 Galloway Street in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, the sale and delivery of crack coocaine and maintaining a drug house.

• Portia Felts Goss, 38, of 223 Spaugh Street in Mount Airy. Trafficking in Oxycodone by sale, trafficking in Oxycodone by delivery, trafficking in Oxycodone by possession, the possession with intent to sell and deliver Alprazolam, the sale and delivery of Alprazolam, maintaining a drug house, and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Antawan Bernard Guest, 35, of 1256 Newsome Street in Mount Airy. Two counts of the possession with the intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, two counts of the sale and delivery of crack cocaine and two counts of maintaining a drug dwelling.

• Terry Wayburn Johnson, 54, of 163 Pond Valley Road in Ararat. Two counts of the possession with the intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, two counts of the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug dwelling and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Justin David Lambert, 25, of 1809 Grassy Knob Road in Pilot Mountain. Possession with intent to sell and deliver Alprazolam and the sale and delivery of Alprazolam.

• Jimmy Mack Long, 32, of 552 North Wilson Road in Lowgap. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, the sale and delivery of methamphetamine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Eric Antyion Penn, 46, of 960 Pipers Gap Road in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, the sale and delivery of cocaine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• William Joseph Reed, 35, of 176 Joe Reed Trail in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, the sale and delivery of marijuana, maintaining a drug house and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Misty Dawn Sechrist, 31, of 571 Bethania Rural Hall Road in Rural Hall. Possession with intent to sell and deliver Hydrocodone, the sale and delivery of hydrocodone, conspiracy to sale and deliver Hydrocodone, possession with intent to sell and deliver morphine, the sale and delivery of morphine, conspiracy to sell and deliver morphine, possession with intent to sell and deliver Oxymorphone, the sale and delivery of Oxymorphone and conspiracy to sell and deliver Oxymorphone.

• Jacob Aaron Shinault, Male, 19, of 773 Maple Grove Church Road in Mount Airy. Trafficking in Vicodin by sell, trafficking in Vicodin by delivery, trafficking in Vicodin by possession, the sale and delivery of marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana.

• Johnny Carlton Snow, 42, of 191 Willis Road in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, conspiracy to sell and deliver methamphetamine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Misty April Snow, 40, 191 Willis Road in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, conspiracy to sell and deliver methamphetamine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Joseph Craig Tilley, 48, of 116 Barton Lane in Mount Airy. Possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, the sale and delivery of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug house and the manufacture of methamphetamine.

• Gary Dwayne Wheeler, 27, of 327 Cherry Street, Apartment 1, in Mount Airy. Trafficking in Hydrocodone by sale, trafficking in Hydrocodone by delivery, trafficking in Hydrocodone by manufacture, trafficking in Hydrocodone by possession, two counts of the possession with the intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, two counts of the sale and delivery of crack cocaine, the possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana, the sale and delivery of marijuana and three counts of maintaining a drug dwelling.

• Joshua Shaun Wiles, 29, of 168 Apple Blossom Lane in Elkin. Possession with intent to sell and deliver LSD, the sale and delivery of LSD, possession with the intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, two counts of maintaining a drug vehicle and two counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Mitchell Dean Willard, 37, of 233 Forkner Road in Mount Airy. Two counts of the possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana, two counts of the sale and delivery of marijuana, two counts of maintaining a drug dwelling and two counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Andrea Sian Williams, 21, of 157 Kingfisher Way in Dobson. Possession with the intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, the sale and delivery of crack cocaine, conspiracy to sell and deliver crack cocaine, maintaining a drug dwelling and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

• David Shane Wolfe, 37, of 1855 Hwy 268 West in Pilot Mountain. Possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana, the sale and delivery of marijuana, maintaining a drug dwelling and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

Keith Strange can be reached at 336-719-1929 or via Twitter @strangereporter.

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